Sesame Orange Beef

Tonight is the night of the Full Moon. Time to release old beliefs  that are not working, and make way to plant new beliefs ( on the New Moon) to help us continue to grow toward our purpose in this life.
With this in mind I am making a quick stir fry which will balance the digestion, calms the body and ground it to the cycles of the seasons. ( Yes, I am studying Native American  culture at this time. No, there were no stir fry-but I didn't think you wanted a recipe for pickled Yak).
Sesame Orange Beef :  12 oz beef sirloin sliced into bite size strips, 1c broccoli florets, 1 c sliced water chestnuts,  1/2 c  bias sliced green onions, 2 tsp sesame seeds, 1/2c  orange juice, 2tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/ tsp finely chopped orange peel, 1tsp  ground ginger or 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp canola oil, 2 c cooked brown rice , 1 c mandarin oranges drained. Recipe:  In a small bowl male sauce, combine the orange juice, soy sauce sesame oil, cornstarch, and orange peel. Set aside. In a large skillet and canola oil,  bring to med- high heat add the broccoli, ginger and the garlic, Cook and stir 1 min. add the green onions, water chestnuts stir fry 30 seconds. Remove vegetables to a bowl. Add the beef to the skillet, add a little more oil if needed. Stir fry the  beef  for 2- 3mins or until still pink in the center. Remove meat from skillet, add to the bowl of vegetables. Add sauce to skillet, allow to thicken slightly. Add vegetable, meat mixture with juices to the skillet. Heat through to coat  with the sauce. Serve with hot cooked brown rice. Top meat mixture with mandarin orange sections. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Serves 4
As the beauty of the Full Moon lights the sky tonight and gives the promise of renewed life.  I offer to you recipes to keep the body healthy so we all can enjoy many years of beautiful Full Moons. Be well.:)

Apple Crisp

 The sky was blue and the temperature soared to 58'  today. Unbelievable! Its January and we are having Spring like weather. I for one will take as many of these days as I can get, with such beautiful weather I was out and about.  I happened to over hear two women discussing  a Church pot luck dinner. They had decided Apple Crisp should be one of the dessert items. I had to bite my tongue I would have loved to have given them the recipe I found a few years back in Gourmet magazine.   I will however  share with you this delicious recipe. Apple Crisp: 5 Granny Smith Apples, 5 Mc Intosh Apples all peeled, and  sliced. 1 tsp cinnamon, 3 tbl sugar 1 c flour, 1 c light brown sugar firmly packed, 1 c oats, 1 c walnuts chopped, 1 stick unsalted butter. Oven  350'. One 13x 9x2 glass baking dish. Combine the apples, and cinnamon , sprinkle with 3tbl sugar . Arrange in the baking dish. In a medium bowl combine the flour , brown sugar , oats, walnuts, and butter , until coarse crumbs  form. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake 45-50 mins.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Serves  6
My Apple Crisp just went in the oven., as it is cooking I am going to take my dog for a quick walk. I want to savor as much of this amazing weather as I can before Mother Nature brings us back to January and all its cold. Be well:)

Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs- For The Chinese New Year

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!  It is the year of the Dragon. Good Luck and Change are in the air. I wish to make the Chinese New Year an auspicious one with   recipes for lucky foods. According to the cookbook " The Complete Book of Chinese Cooking" there are certain foods when combined together create luck and prosperity. The ancient society lived by these food combinations in order for their villages to prosper. Hey, we buy lottery tickets they use food what can I say?  Lemon and Ginger are high on the list of luck inspiring ingredients. Today's recipe is Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs:  Recipe:1 large lemon , 1 tbsp fresh ginger or 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1/2 tsp salt , 2 tbsp honey , 1 tbsp reduced - sodium soy sauce, 2 tbsp water, 8 chicken thighs with bone , 2-3 tsp vegetable oil. Sliced green onions and lemon wedges (optional). Finely shred the peel from the lemon and juice the lemon. In  bowl combine the lemon peel, ginger and salt. in another bowl combine the lemon juice, honey, soy sauce and 2tbsp water  Rub peel mixture under the skin of the chicken thighs. Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet mover medium high heat. Place chicken skin side down. Cook 7 mins or until well browned, turn chicken and add lemon juice mixture. Reduce heat and cover and cook 14- 18 mins longer or until done (180 degrees F.). Transfer chicken to plates.  Drizzle chicken with pan juices. Top with green onion and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.
In the year of the Dragon,  with  change and good luck in the air, I for one am going to do my part . Please pass the Lemon Ginger Chicken-- OH wait let me check my lottery tickets first. Be well :)

Cranberry Biscuits

Today I am cooking up a storm,I have a day off and I love to cook to unwind. Looking through my recipe files I found a  biscuit recipe which I love to make ( 3 guesses what I am making to accompany the trout I will be cooking tonight). Cranberry Biscuits: Light, flaky, tender, and full of dried cranberries, a wonderful taste explosion  of flavor.  Cranberry Biscuits  :   Yields 18.  4 c flour , 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 3/4 tsp salt , 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/3 c sugar, 1 c unsalted butter (2 sticks) ,  1 1/3 c buttermilk, 1 c dried cranberries. Oven 425'. Oven rack in the middle position. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, nutmeg and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter. Mix in the buttermilk and the cranberries. Knead  6 turns ( just to combine the cranberries.) Cut out 18 biscuits Bake 15 mins.  Serve with butter.
If you have leftovers, these biscuits are amazing sliced and toasted for breakfast served  with butter and jam.
Time to prepare the fish and all the fixings, the biscuits go in the oven just before dinner is served. Cooking  is a labor of love, I relish my days off when I can cook and give Love to all the wonderful people in my life. Be well :)

Brown Eyed Susan

I am totally freezing. Today the temperature did not get above 30'. Finally.I am home, after running around finishing up  home decorating errands. I am thawing out with some home- made hot cocoa. I  yearn for something sweet. Hmm... Of course cookies! A  Brown Eyed  Susan will do the trick. A delicious almond flavored butter cookie with a bit of a chocolate frosting.
Brown Eyed Susan:  Yields 36 cookies.  Oven 400'.  1/2 lb unsalted butter (2 sticks), 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp almond extract, 2 c flour , 1/2 tsp salt. Frosting:  1 c confectioner's sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp hot water 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Sliced almonds to garnish...   Cookie; Cream butter and sugar, add almond extract, flour , and salt.. make dough into 36 balls. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet. Press thumb in the center of each ball to make an indentation. Bake 10- 12 mins. Cool . Make Frosting:  Combine frosting ingredients in a small bowl. Place 1/2 tsp of frosting on the top of each cookie in the indented part. ( Frosting should be very thick) Place a slice of almond a top the frosting. Store in a tin lined with wax paper.
 I love these cookies, They are a simple  but have a sinfully rich taste. Nice on a brutally cold night .

Key Lime Bars-- Sweet and Tart

I am looking out my wind watching the fierce wind blow as it makes my tree limbs sway. My mind wanders to warmer days. Hmmm, something tropical would be another good desert to serve  for the play off game tomorrow.  Everyone I know has Patriots fever,and when they come to the house they will be hungry for a win as well as for food. Sweet and Tart is a good combination, it makes the palate  hunger for more. Remember, I always cook for an army (just in case company shows up- you want to have food to serve-Direct quote from all my ancestors). I want my guests to be well fed and content when they leave..  Key Lime Bars:   Oven 325" Oven rack in the center position. Line a 8 inch square baking pan with foil. Spray the foil with Pam. Set aside. Crust;  1c animal crackers crushed, 3tbsp packed light brown sugar, pinch of salt, 4 tbsp butter melted. Combine the crust ingredients together in a bowl, press on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 18 mins . Cool on a rack. Do not turn off oven.  Filling: 2 oz. cream cheese, 1 tbsp of grated lime zest, minced, pinch of salt, 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 1 large egg yolk, 1/2 c fresh  lime juice,  Garnish: 1/4c coconut lightly toasted as a garnish.  In a medium bowl whisk the cream cheese, zest and salt until softened and creamy. add remaining ingredients  whisk until well combined. pour over the cooled crust. Bake 15 mins . Remove from oven cool on a rack  1 - 1 1/2 hours. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours . Lift bars out of pan using the foil edges cut into 16 squares. Sprinkle with the coconut and serve. refrigerate leftovers.
As I bite into one of the Key Lime Bars I am whisked away to warmer memories, but reality sets in as the phone rings with another response of attendance to tomorrow's dinner, and a reminder of the cold.

Bread And Chocolate...

I was out and about last night and finished the evening at a friend's house. We had come from shopping for staples to cook for Saturday's Patriot's game. We  had also had dinner We were stuffed, but  there is  always room for chocolate. (The mantra of this blog--" CHOCOLATE YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH-") Elena introduced me to a dessert that is very popular in Spain, her native country. Bread and Chocolate with Olive Oil  and Sea Salt.  I was intrigued , frankly, I am not a salty , sweet type. I either like salt or I like sweet, not the two mixed. I was pleasantly surprised, it was quite good. It  is light enough, yet satisfying.  Bread and Chocolate with Olive Oil and Sea Salt;  Oven 325'  Serves 6 6oz dark chocolate ( 60% cocoa)   grated, 6 slices of country- style white bread, 1/4 c extra virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Lightly toast the bread, until golden on both sides. Spoon the grated chocolate evenly over the toast, covering completely. Drizzle olive oil over the chocolate. Heat  in the oven for 5 mins until chocolate is melted. Sprinkle with the Sea Salt Flakes. Serve.
Very enjoyable with a cup of coffee or tea. Great after a large meal.
As I ready for " The Game" my thoughts turn to Barbecued Baby Back Ribs, Crab Cakes etc. and Triple Chocolate Biscotti. I enjoyed the Bread and Chocolate  but  never on "Game Day". Be well:)